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Don't ask unless you are ready for the truth!
Well, color me surprised when I asked my husband what his favorite dessert was and it wasn’t anything I ever made!! It’s a dessert my sister makes for every holiday, every picnic, and anytime more than two people gather together in this family.
My husband’s favorite dessert: Banana Pudding.
There is a simple reason for me never making his favorite dessert, I don’t like banana pudding.
What is my favorite dessert? Any type of Lush. What’s a lush dessert? I’m glad you asked.
A Lush starts with a shortbread crust, which is my favorite, then a filling made of some flavor of pudding/cheesecake, topped with whipped topping, and more sprinkles or chocolate drizzle or nuts or coconut. OR a lush can go by just the name of Pudding dessert, such as in Banana Pudding.
A lush has all my favorite flavors and textures I love, in one dessert! Plus, a lush can easily be customized to different flavor combinations. A chocolate lover could do a chocolate shortbread crust with a chocolate cheesecake filling and top it with more chocolate chips and peanut butter drizzle. Or you could make a classic lemon lush.
So when it comes right down to it, my husband and I like the same type of dessert: a Lush. The difference is his is a banana lush and mine would be a lemon lush. Here are the recipes for both!
Lemon Lush
For the crust:
In a mixing bowl, mix ½ cup softened butter, with 1 cup flour and ½ cup finely chopped pecans. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13” baking dish. Pat down lightly with your hands. Bake at 350° for 14 minutes. Remove from oven.
First layer:
In a mixing bowl, mix one cup confectioners' sugar and one 8 oz. package softened cream cheese. Add one 8 oz. container of thawed whipped topping. Mix together gently. Pour over cooled crust.
Second layer:
In another mixing bowl, pour 3 cups milk and two - 3 oz packages instant Lemon pudding, Pour over cheesecake layer.
Topping: Top the lemon layer with one 8 oz container whipped topping, thawed then sprinkle with ¼ cup of chopped pecans. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Banana Pudding Lush
Start by layering a 9 x 13” pan with Vanilla Wafer Cookies. Layer bottom of pan and up the sides of the pans. Then slice four bananas (or amount to your taste) over the cookie layers. Next, mix two 3 0z pkg of Banana flavor or French Vanilla pudding with 3 cups milk. Pour over bananas. Top with two 8 oz. whipped topping, thawed. Sprinkle with a few crushed vanilla wafers. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
A Lush by any other name
Basically a lush can be called many things: lasagna, pudding cake, no-bake desserts, etc. The crust may be made from a shortbread crust (my favorite), crushed oreos, pretzels, vanilla wafer cookies, etc. The pudding can be made with any flavor combination…try cheesecake layer over a chocolate oreo crust, topped with a layer of cherry pie filling and whipped topping with a chocolate drizzle! Yum!
Combinations of Lush’s are endless. Use your imagination and have fun.